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Tang Cafe

Dublin Ireland

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

0.5

The vibe inside the restaurant was really nice, however most of the chairs were outside on the street so often people were walking through the “restaurant”.

The service was good and helpful when you were looking for what you wanted to choose.

Service

1.0

Price

0.5

The pricing was fine, however it gets more expensive on a Saturday.

The restaurant is rather small inside, however on a lovely day the outside seating, with a view of St. Stephen’s Park, is really pleasant.

Space

0.5

The food is incredibly nice, with brilliant mediterranean and middle eastern flavours.

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

There is a breakfast and a lunch menu, however there are only two options at lunch: salad or flatbread. There are a lot of salad options.

All of the options an be made vegetarian with Lebanese beans, and the salads are the restaurant’s highlight.

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.5

The salad changes regularly, but when we went the potatoes in the salad were very flavoursome.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb

Overall score: 6.5/10

Perchiana

Paris France

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

1.0

The atmosphere was convival as soon as you walked in, with interesting decor and persian rugs on the walls to set the vibe.

The service was fine, however a bit slow – we had to ask for the bill after a long period and then had a long wait before we could pay

Service

0.5

Price

0.5

The prices were fine, maybe a bit pricy, but that’s Paris for you.

The restaurant was relatively well laid out – it was a bit small however you could easily get around past everything.

Space

1.0

The food was generally quite good, however the meat skewers weren’t the most flavoursome and could be a bit tough.

Taste

0.5

Range

0.5

There was a choice between stews and skewers, however there were only 4 different kinds of skewers in different combinations.

There were not many vegetarian options, and barely even any vegetables on any of the meat dishes.

Vege-Friendly

0.0

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato dishes.

This restaurant receives no thumbs

Overall score: 4/10

Distrito Francés

Paris France

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

1.0

The atmosphere as you went in was very cool and fun, with a lot of colour and refernce to the “Day of the Dead”.

The people serving us were really nice and were willing to go out of their way to help us.

Service

1.0

Price

1.0

The prices were very good, especially for Paris, with a meal being under 15€.

The restaurant was small and well-furnished, however there was only one bathroom and the door was a bit dodgy.

Space

0.5

The tacos were all really good – each one had a different but incredible mix of flavours. My personal favourite was the chicken, because the crunchy peanuts, spiced smoky chicken, and sweet guacamole and carrot went so well together.

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

The menu was not huge, however each had different bases (pork, beef, chicken, sweet potato) so there was something for everyone

The menu was more restrictive for vegetarians, however the vegetarian option was just as good, if not better, than the meat options.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

1.0

Disclaimer: I don’t like sweet potato. And yet, their sweet potato taco blew me away. With the feta and the spices, and with a hint of sweetness, it was a thing of absolute beauty.

This restaurant receives 1 Thumb up

Overall score: 7.5/10

La Créole

Paris France

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

1.0

The atmosphere is great, the colours and paintings and music really sets the Caribbean scene.

The service was really friendly and homely, but also of a good speed and attentive.

Service

1.0

Price

0.5

The price was a bit expensive but, hey, c’est Paris

The restaurant was relatively well laid out, however some chairs were stuck in corners and hard to get out from.

Space

0.5

The food tasted really good, a lovely mix of spice and fruitiness, I expected it to have a bit more of a kick, but I’ve just never had creole food before.

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

A slightly limited menu, however each dish had a different base (vegetable, beef, goat, fish, etc.).

There were only two vegetarian options, one of which was vegan, however they seemed to be just as flavoursome.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato dishes.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb

Overall score: 6/10

Al-Shami

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2018

Ambience

1.0

A really nice, chill atmosphere which makes it feel like it’s going to be a lot more expensive than it is.

The service was fine, however we ended up waiting for our bill for a while.

Service

0.5

Price

0.5

The prices were fine, especially when you order the hot mezze like you would if it were tapas.

The space was relatively well laid out, however inside it was nothing special.

Space

0.5

The food was really nice, a great mix of middle eastern flavours.

Taste

1.0

Range

1.0

There was a large range of food on the menu, from hot and cold mezze to larger meals.

There are a number of really good vegetarian options.

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.5

There are a number of potato dishes which were nice, but nothing to write home about.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb

Overall score: 7/10

Tapas Brindisa

London United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

1.0

Sitting outside on a sunny day surrounded by the to-and-fro of the Borough Market is such a lovely experience.

The service was fine, although it was a lot of effort trying to get to keep one of the dishes so we could use the sauce to dip.

Service

0.5

Price

0.0

The tapas was expensive, with the meat and fish tapas being around £10 each – which adds up.

The space was well laid out, although some tables outside were right next to a curb-like edge so you couldn’t move your chair.

Space

0.5

The tapas was generally good, although some of the dishes lacked a bit of flavour.

Taste

0.5

Range

1.0

There was a relatively large range; not as large as some tapas places, but there is a good amount for anyone to want to try. (Some places also try and do too much and it backfires so a smaller menu is sometimes better.)

There were a number of vegetarian dishes and the cheese tapas options were great, especially the goat’s cheese curd.

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.5

The patatas bravas were okay, but they could have done with a bit more of a kick and the potatoes were not freshly cut or cooked.

This restaurant receives no thumbs

Overall score: 5/10

Cuba Compagnie Café

Paris France

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

1.0

The vibe was really chill and cool, with a lot of latin music and hustle bustle.

The service was good, and they were attentive and quick, as well as translating things into English.

Service

1.0

Price

1.0

The tapas was of good value, especially with the sharing options, we each ate for 9€.

There were two areas, one just for drinking which was rowdy and lively, and the other was quieter for eating, however it meant that the other area lacked the same character.

Space

0.5

The food was fine, however it was nothing particularly exciting.

Taste

0.5

Range

1.0

There was a nice range of tapas and of normal meals themselves (as well as a very large range of rums!).

The only vegetarian tapas options were nachos, roasted peppers, and plantains.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato options.

This restaurant receives no thumbs

Overall score: 5.5/10

Antep Kitchen

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

1.0

A lively and bustling atmosphere, including playing “Freed from desire” as the birthday song.

The service was generally pretty good although maybe too fast, so we didn’t have enough time to let the starter go down before the main arrived.

Service

0.5

Price

0.5

The pricing is middleish, not too expensive, but not a cheap eat for a student budget.

The layout of the restaurant is quite open and you can see the food being cooked from your seat.

Space

1.0

The food tasted incredible with the Turkish flavours making it devastating that I couldn’t eat all of it because there was so much.

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

There are a large number of options including a lot of different dishes with different meat options, but it always feels like there are too many options and should be focussed.

There are a number of vegetarian dishes but the majority of the specials and large meals are meaty.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There were no major potato dishes.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb

Overall score: 6/10

Vapianos

London United Kingdom

I have visited Vapianos so many times I have no idea when I did first; the first time was in Amsterdam, but most often in London.

Ambience

0.5

Each restaurant has its own nice vibe but at peak times it is too busy to enjoy it.

The problem with cooking food fresh is that there are long queues, however the chefs are normally good at recommendations and the card scanning makes paying easier and quicker.

Service

0.5

Price

1.0

The prices are good and the portion sizes make it really good value, especially for London.

A lot of the restaurants have two floors and there are a mix of sharing and non-sharing tables, which makes for a nice atmosphere.

Space

1.0

The major benefit of everything being cooked fresh is that you can see it being made and change it to your taste – it is worth the wait by miles.

Taste

1.0

Range

1.0

There are all kinds of pasta sauces, pizza toppings, and the choice of the type of pasta, including wholegrain pastas.

There are only a few dishes that are fully vegetarian, however a few others can be made veggie or vegan, and they are all great.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There are no potato dishes

This restaurant receives 1 thumb

Overall score: 6.5/10

Bunsen

Dublin Ireland

I first visited this restaurant in 2019

Ambience

1.0

The atmosphere was fine, like walking into a typical capital restaurant, nothing jumped out as special.

The service was quick and nice, they brought us water without asking, and was great for walking us through the order. They also went out of their way to help the Italian couple next to us for whom their was a language barrier.

Service

1.0

Price

0.5

The price of the burgers was good for Temple bar – all below 11 euros. However the fries were an extra cost which makes it quite expensive.

The restaurant was nice and large, and had two floors of seating. It never felt too full and there was always seating space.

Space

1.0

Some of the best burgers that I’ve ever had. The flavours were simple but punchy and the patties were cooked to perfection

Taste

1.0

Range

0.0

They only sold burgers and there were only two options: with or without cheese.

There were no vegetarian burger options.

Vege-Friendly

0.0

Potatoes

0.5

The fries were good and well seasoned.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb

Overall score: 6/10